Jack Grealish confirms intention to play for England over Republic of Ireland

Aston Villa youngster Jack Grealish has confirmed that he intends to play international football for England as opposed to the Republic of Ireland.

The 20-year-old has been deliberating over the last few months on which nation to represent, with both Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson and Ireland coach Martin O'Neill trying to sway the midfielder's decision.

Despite playing for the Irish side at Under-21 level, Grealish has selected England in the hope of playing in a major tournament in the future.

On Villa's Twitter page, a message read: "@JackGrealish1 has made a decision over his international future and opted to play for England."

The youngster will now await clearance from FIFA, meaning that next week's Euro 2016 qualifiers could come too soon for the player.